THINKER'S ALMANAC - March 19

How would Jefferson's Declaration of Independence be different if it were published today on a social media website?

Subject:  Lists - Listicle

Event:  Birthday of Irving Wallace, 1916

Because we can process information more easily when it’s in a list than when it’s clustered and undifferentiated, like in standard paragraphs, a list feels more intuitive. In other words, lists simply feel better. -Maria Konnikova

Today is the birthday of American writer Irving Wallace (1916-1990). Wallace's parents emigrated from Russia and settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Irving grew up.  From an early age, Irving, whose father was a clerk in a general store, dreamed of being a writer. When he was still in high school, he sold his first published article to Horse and Jockey Magazine for $5.

After graduating from Williams Institute in Berkeley, California, Wallace began writing full time in 1937, selling freelance fiction and nonfiction to magazines.  He also wrote for Hollywood, producing a number of screenplays for major studios.

Wallace is best known, however, for his books — both fiction and nonfiction, which he began writing in the 1950s.  His 16 novels and 17 nonfiction books have sold more than 120 million copies.

In 1977, working with his son and daughter, Wallace published The Book of Lists.  It was the perfect book for the dawning information age and quickly became a bestseller (1).

                                                        Image by Paul Christian Glenn from Pixabay 

The Book of Lists is more than just a compilation of lists.  Each of the book’s lists is annotated with fascinating facts and storylines.  Here’s a small sample of some of the tantalizing titles of the book’s lists:

10 Famous Noses

6 People Whose Names Were Changed by Accident

13 Mothers of Infamous Men

14 Highly Unusual Recipes

33 Names of Things You Never Knew Had Names

17 Pairs of Contradictory Proverbs

5 Famous People Who Invented Games

9 People Who Died Laughing

27 Things That Fell From the Sky (2)

The Book of Lists inspired hundreds of imitation volumes, and with the advent of the World Wide Web in 1990, the list article (or listicle) has become a staple method for writers to deliver information.

Lists fascinate us because they appeal to our inherent need for organization.  A list’s title gives the reader immediate and easily categorized information, such as “The Ten Commandments” or “Thirteen Signs You’re Addicted to Lip Balm.”

Lists are an essential tool that assists writers in shoveling up heaping helpings of savory details for the reader to enjoy.  Too often writers dwell too much on abstractions and generalities. Lists remind the writer that the reader is hungry for concrete details.  Readers can be told things for only so long; they prefer, instead, to be shown things, things that they can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel.

Although the listicle seems like a recent innovation, it’s nothing new.  Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, for example, might be called a listicle that gives the rationale for revolution.  If it appeared today it would be entitled, “Twenty-Seven Reasons Why We’ve Had It With King George.”

As his own listicle on why listicles are so successful, the writer Steven Poole lists the following as his number seven reason:   

A listicle feels more democratic than a hierarchically structured argument, as well as more in tune with a conception of history and the world as just one damn thing after another. The foundational text of Protestantism was a listicle nailed to a church door: Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” posted at Wittenberg. So it makes sense that in our culture, which makes a fetish of anti-authoritarianism, the listicle should have spread everywhere, like mold. (3)

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  How many reasons did Jefferson give in his listicle, The Declaration of Independence? If a listicle is called a "decalogue," how many items does it contain?

Challenge - It’s the Listicle You Can Do:  What are ten possible topics for interesting listicles?  Brainstorm at least ten specific topics that you might package as a listicle.  Use the words below to help you determine some possible organizing principles for your lists, such as “10 Reasons to Read More,” or “10 Secrets to Getting an A in English”:

ways, reasons, things, places, people, principles, rules, secrets, lessons, keys, habits, tips, myths, best, worst, mistakes, steps

Once you have some ideas, select the one list you like the best, and expand it into a listicle.  Make sure you have an engaging title that includes the number of items on your list. The number ten seems to be a number that resonates with readers; in fact, there is a single word in English, that means “a list of ten.”  Decalogue is from the Greek deca, meaning “ten,” and logos, meaning “words.”  Make sure to number each item on your list, and follow each numbered item with details that will engage your audience.

Sources:

1-Severo, Richard. “Irving Wallace, Whose 33 Books Sold in the Millions, Is Dead at 74.” The New York Times 30 June 1990.

2-Wallechinsky, David, Irving Wallace, and Amy Wallace.  The Book of Lists, 1977.

3-Poole, Steven. “nine things you need to know about 'listicles.'” The Guardian 12 Nov. 2013.